Mandai to be turned into Asia's top nature spot
By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 November 2007 1855 hrs

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SINGAPORE : A luxurious spa retreat in Mandai could soon be a reality, with new plans for the area.

Two new nature-themed attractions in Mandai, to complement the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari, were announced on Tuesday.

The Singapore Zoo's five cheetahs just got a bigger home, as part of a S$70 million masterplan by Wildlife Reserves Singapore to improve the facilities of the Zoo and Night Safari.

Meanwhile, even bigger things are being planned for the whole Mandai region.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) wants to turn the area into Asia's next top nature spot, with two new attractions on the way.

A 30-hectare site in the area may soon become the next luxurious topical spa retreat, and another idea being considered is an exotic river-themed development, where visitors can learn about freshwater habitat.

S Iswaran, Minister of State, Trade and Industry, said: "Certainly if you want to go into a large national park, Singapore may not be able to compete with some of what's being offered in the region.

"If you're looking for an immersive experience, tropical rainforest in a natural setting, I think we can do quite a bit. Obviously we can't compete on size, so we have to compete on the quality of the experience, the nature of the experience.

"And when you go to an urban centre, you don't really go to a city expecting a back-to-nature experience in this total sense. You want an immersive experience and that's where the Zoo and the Night Safari can play a part, and I think the Mandai nature park kind of nature destination can play a part."

There is something very relaxing about being immersed in nature, and the government believes that if done well, visitors to Mandai can forget that they are actually only minutes away from the city centre.

STB is confident that with the new attractions, the number of visitors to Mandai could double to 5 million by 2015. - CNA/ms